Darkness Lingers
by pikachu95
Summary: Even after the Darkest Faerie, there is still darkness in Neopia. But where there is light, darkness is soon to follow, and the light that followed the defeat of the Darkest Faerie has darkness following it close behind. Can old heroes save Neopia again?
1. Busted

**Busted**

The night was silent as the world slept peacefully thirty years after the battle with the Darkest Faerie. Tormund and a Green Ixi knight named Gerald were keeping watch over the kingdom of Meridell, as was their nightly duty. Tor, now older and much stronger, was a large, handsome yellow Lupe compared to his younger years when fighting against the Darkest Faerie. He now held a large silver shield with gold lining blessed by King Altador himself. His sword was a long silver sword with runes engraved in the blade. He was a well-respected Master Knight now, head of the armies of Meridell. He was thinking of Roberta as he stared into the moon. He didn't love her like that, of course, but the two of them were emotionally inseparable after the great battle.

His thoughts were interrupted by a rustling sound in some bushes a few yards away. His keen Lupe ears picked up the sound before Gerald even noticed, and when he did it was only because Tor was cautiously heading toward the sound. He drew his sword from its sheath and his shield was on his arm in a flash. 'Thank Fyora that the faerie craftsman made this perfect for my size,' he thought thankfully. The bushes shifted again, and then all was still.

"Robber?" Gerald whispered. Tor held a finger to his lips (if paws have 'fingers') as he approached the bushes. He saw a glimmer in the darkness and then took the blade of his sword in his shield paw and swung the hilt downward hard. There was a screech as the hilt connected with something and he thrust his paw into the now shaking bushes and pulled out what looked like a Purple Kougra in the darkness. However, he saw that it had wings and black stripes and realized that it was a Darigan Kougra he was holding.

"Put me down you Lupe!" It shouted as he continued to hold it upside-down above the ground. The Kougra clawed at him, but he held it out of reach and when it tried to scratch his paw holding it, it was protected by chain-mail and a shield. "Put me down now or I'll make sure you regret it for so many years you'll wish you..."

"Find anything?" Tor asked as Gerald was searching dropped goods that the screaming Kougra, apparently female by her voice, had dropped. Neither knight was paying any attention to her threats and curses, but they were very interested in the food and jewelry lying at their feet.

"Looks like she's been quite busy," he said. "She's got an excellent eye, too. These all appear to be genuine stones in the jewelry, and the food looks like the expensive stuff only rich people would have. One of these even appears to be a family heirloom from King Scarl's bedchamber!" He held up a necklace and Tor recognized it to be the crest Scarl wore at a special feast at one time.

"It's not my fault the guy shows off his valuables so obviously!" the Kougra countered. "Besides, the King's got some sweet jewels up in there that I _didn't_ touch! I should get an award for that!"

"Awards aren't given to thieves," Gerald retorted. He bagged the rest of the items and pointed towards the castle. Tor nodded and they both headed back, unaware of the glowing red eye watching them from the bushes before disappearing completely.

When they came into the castle, a patrolling knight looked at them as he walked through the hall in front of the door. 'Convenient,' Tor thought.

"I need you to take over my station while I put this one down in the dungeon," he said. "We'll figure out what to do with her in the morning." He took the squirming Kougra down and locked her in one of the cells. It had a bed with pillows, but other than the accessory chains on the wall right above it the room was empty.

"I'll get you some food from the kitchens, but everything you stole will be returned tomorrow," he said sternly. "Also," he continued after he locked the door, "what is your name?" He hooked the keys onto his belt before she replied. She just pulled down the skin under her eye and stuck out her tongue. He shrugged and walked up the stairs before closing the door with a soft thud.

"Everything you stole will be returned tomorrow," she mimicked in mockery as she lay down on the bed. "I'll just get it all back when I get out of here." Just after she spoke, the door opened again. However, she smiled as no footsteps were heard before she saw a ring of floating keys in front of the bars. "Bout time, slow-poke!" she teased as she correct key eventually fit itself into the lock and turned with a click.

"Mrow," a small voice replied. A Ghost Meowclops appeared out of thin air as the door opened.

"Yeah, yeah, I know how it goes," she said with a smile. The smile disappeared when they heard the door open for a second time. "Shoot, hide!" she whispered before jumping down an open hole in the floor. From the smell it was a sewage tunnel.

Tor froze in front of the empty cell with a tray of prisoner mash in his paws. He set the tray down, pulled out his sword and turned to look behind him. He knew full well where she was and was going to bring her back to her cell. He looked back at the cell door and was surprised to see it open without being forced.

"She has a partner," he growled, and he ran over to the sewage hole and jumped down into the darkness.

His nose was assaulted long before his feet hit the flooded bottom. The stench was very familiar from thirty years ago. He hated having clog duty, and now he had to come back down to this infested place.

"I know you're in here!" he called. He saw some Slorgs in the distance as well as an occasional tentacle. What did those tentacles even belong to anyways?

"Aer!" Tor turned quickly to see a sad little Meowclops covered in muck. He picked it up and brushed it off, but it was soaked. Suddenly the muck shot off of its fur and into his eyes. The ghost followed its Kougra master as she jumped for the ladder. Tor, now able to see again after brushing the muck off of his eyes, grabbed her and tore her off of the ladder. He whipped her to his right and had her pinned against the wall. The ghost tried to attack but his mail had a protective spell on it. The only reason it was able to touch him before was because the muck was what he was touching, not the petpet itself.

"Get off!" she shouted. She pulled her hands to her side, drew out two daggers and twisted around to stab at him. He pulled away when he saw the weapons and drew his sword, his shield already on his arm.

"I didn't want it to come to this," he growled. She lunged out and he side-swiped, knocking one of the daggers out of her hand. The Meowclops attempted another strike but failed as it was repelled by the magic armor.

"Neither did I!" she exclaimed with exasperation as she picked up her dagger off of the slimy floor. "But I don't like cells, thank you!" With that, she made another go for the ladder. This time she kicked his chest-plate, sending him onto his back. She scrambled up the ladder, jumped out of the hole and ran to the stairs. When she got to the stairs she stopped as she looked up to see three knights blocking the way out. Her Meowclops hissed and prepared to lunge before being caught in a brown cloth bag by Tor. She put her daggers away, not down on the ground and just stood there waiting. She knew it was over.

"Ha, not so tough now are you?" the Ixi knight from outside called triumphantly. She hissed in response as her paws were bound behind her back.

"Always be gracious in victory, Gerald," the Lupe rebuked, causing the Ixi to flinch. "This was no easy battle. If I had a year's less experience, I might not have survived myself."

"Bring her up, Tor!" an Electric Ogrin called. "She's not easy to keep in check!"

"This is her accomplice," he stated, holding up his cloth bag, which was moving around in his hand. "A ghost petpet is difficult to tame. If you're lucky enough to have one, you've got a great deal of protection. Fyora's blessing on this armor and King Altador's blessing on this shield is the only reason that I'm alive right now."

"Lucky, stupid Lupe..." the Kougra muttered under her breath as she stared at the bag with anger at her petpet being caught inside.

"You'll do well to show him respect," the Blue Ogrin sneered. "He's a senior warrior."

"Great," she sighed, rolling her eyes. "Get him a walker and some prunes." With that she was escorted out the door before Tor stopped them.

"Let me take the rope," he ordered, and it was handed to him without question. "She'll be staying in the spare squire room tonight and we'll have it physically and magically locked. There's a tray of cold mash down there that I want you to get, and bring it to me there. Understood?" They saluted him and rushed off in three different directions. Gerald went to get the mash, the Electric Ogrin went to get a fire mote to warm it up again, and the Blue Ogrin went to get a mage to magically lock the spare squire room.

The two of them walked there quietly, Tor holding the rope and the Kougra looking around for a way to escape. However, she wouldn't leave without her Meowclops, so no matter what idea she came up with it was foiled by the fact that she couldn't think of how to get it back.

"What is your name?" He asked when they stopped in front of the door into the spare room.

"Demona," she grunted. "The Meowclops is Taunt." He nodded once before footsteps behind him told him the knights had returned from their separate errands.

"So you need a magical lock?" the old Split Lenny asked as he made his way to them. "That sounds easy enough. Put her inside and I'll place the spell on the door, if you would be so kind." Tor bowed slightly and pushed her inside, untied her hands, threw in the Meowclops and placed her tray on the ground just inside the door. He promptly shut it just as she threw herself against it. She wasn't getting out.

"I'll get out of here somehow," she fumed to herself. She always got out of situations like this, but that was with the help of Taunt. Now he was struggling to get out of an obviously magical bag, locked in the same room as her. Never before did a situation seem so hopeless.

She untied the bag and Taunt burst out of it, ready to attack until he saw that they were alone.

"Mrrrooow," he moaned pitifully.

"It wasn't your fault, don't apologize," she said comfortingly. "They're going to do something with us tomorrow. We need to be ready to escape as soon as they open the door." She pulled out her two daggers and ran her right paw down the top of both short, black blades. One had a sapphire stone imbedded in the hilt, and that was the dagger blessed with light-weight when in the hands of its master and silence even when swung with great speed and force. It could move through water like it was moving through air, without any resistance from liquid at all. The other had a ruby stone, and that one was a cursed blade, poisoned forever with whatever poison she desired for the moment to cause a slow and painful death. She was very happy that neither dagger could cut her.

Her clothes were normal, a loose-fit black shirt and shorts for easy mobility. She did not need shoes because her paws were use to Darigan terrain, rough and rocky. Besides, everyone knows that shoes make too much noise. This place was smooth and grassy, which felt like pillows compared to her old home.

She put her daggers back in their sheaths and lay down on the bed, every escape plan she had ever concocted ran through her head as she fought off sleep. She needed to get out as soon as the opportunity was hers, but to do that she needed her strength, so she grabbed the still-warm mash from off the ground and ate hungrily, not leaving a single morsel left over. After she finished, she lay down on the bed, closed her eyes and was quickly asleep with Taunt on her chest, kneading until he finally decided to lie down.

She was awakened by the sound of a lock clicking. 'Shoot!' she thought. 'I slept for too long.' Before she could form a coherent, non-drowsy thought the door opened and Tor walked in with another tray of mash.

"Eat up," he ordered as he set the tray down. To Demona's surprise he was unarmed and was in fact wearing his pajamas. Why is he suddenly being so trusting? She eyed the tray hungrily for a moment before folding her arms and tilting her head in defiance. However, he just stood up and walked out the door, closing it quietly.

As soon as he was gone she dove for the tray and gulped it all down. It may not be the best tasting, but it is food, so who cares?

"Reear," Taunt teased from the bed.

"If you could feel hunger, you wouldn't be making fun of me!" she hissed back as she put the tray down. "You're only a pig if you eat more than your share, and I haven't had my share for the past week, so don't you dare."

"Neeya," it mewed before lying down and going back to sleep.

"Well," she mused to herself, "At least one of us is able to relax." She propped her back on the side of the bed and just sat there as the sound of footsteps went by every now and then. Suddenly one of them stopped in front of her door and broke her daydream as she stood up, daggers ready at her sides.

"Hello, little thief!" the Ixi named Gerald called in as he opened the door. Tor was behind him in his knight attire now, an improvement from the blue pajamas she had seen. "It's time for you to meet all the knights so we can decide what to do with you!" She glared as Tor entered with the rope from the night before.

"Can't take any chances," he said as he bound her up. Taunt was still sleeping soundly on the bed, and Demona knew that waking him up will not do any good since he is unable to touch the Yellow Lupe.

"Excuses, Excuses," she said as she was taken out of the room and the door was closed, locked and left.

When they entered the main hall, many knights were there waiting for them. They all turned to see the thief, who was becoming very nervous as she became surrounded. Tor unbound her but stayed at her side, though she had no idea why. She knew how easy it would be to take him hostage, but she was too nervous to reach for her daggers. She hates crowds.

"Well," rasped a deep voice as King Scarl came in to join them. "There's the little thief!" He coughed when he stopped, his old blue-grey skin dull and almost lifeless. "Think you can get away with my trinkets, do you? Well, you little demon, I'm here to disappoint you!" He took out the necklace she had stolen, and it glittered teasingly in the light as she stared. She loves shiny objects.

"My king," Tor said with a bow, "I trust the other items have been returned?"

"Of course, dear boy!" he boomed. "The other items are all safely in the hands of their proper owners now, no thanks to her." He pointed a gnarled finger at her and she hissed in return, earning a slap on the head from Tor.

"Learn to show respect to your king," he growled.

"He's not _my_ king!" she countered. "Being my king and being the king of Meridell are two _very_ different things." The king's face was outraged at her insolence and she smiled.

"Her punishment must be severe for talking to the king like that!" a knight shouted, getting a loud agreement from the others.

"The greatest punishment," Tor said, causing the other knights to fall silent, "would be to teach her respect and to bind her to someone." Demona looked at him in surprise. What the heck did that mean? "I will bind her to myself, and she will become my squire." That got an uproar. The surrounding knights were arguing with each other loudly and some were shouting insults down to Demona. She would become this knight's squire?

"No way in heck am I serving you!" she shouted, backing away. "You must be mental to think I'd serve this senior wannabe!"

"My name is Tormund," he said, "and you'll do well to remember that, young squire."

"I'm not a squire!" she hissed. "I don't do servant work to anyone other than _me_!" She looked around as she realized that the surrounding onlookers became very quiet as she spoke.

"This is the hero of Neopia!" Gerald called. "He saved the world from the Darkest Faerie! You should be honored to be his squire!"

"_You_?" she said incredulously. "You defeated the Darkest Faerie?"

"With help from Roberta the Brightvale mage, but yes, it is true." Tor folded his arms across his chest-plate and stared at her. "Normally the squires are sent to the captain for training, but I will take care of yours personally. You will do as I say and nothing else unless it is your free-time. However, for the time being you will stay in your room until we find a way to permanently bind you to me to where anywhere you go I know exactly where you are."

"Perhaps we can go to Fyora!" Gerald stated excitedly as he made his way to them. "She could make a spell, or perhaps she has an item we can use." Tor nodded once and grabbed Demona's shoulder.

"Now, off to your room," he ordered. "You'll be staying there until I return, is that understood?"

"What the... I don't take orders from you!" She knocked his hand off and he swatted her head.

"You will respect any knight you serve," he stated, "and since you're my squire you will show me respect."

"Respect you my butt," she muttered as she was bound up again, taken to her room and closed in.

"Nya," Taunt greeted.

"Don't act so happy," she snapped. "Now I'm that Yellow Lupe's squire! Who the heck does he think he is, anyways? I'm not going to show him any respect and he'll let me go because he'll eventually get tired of me, that's how I'm getting out of here. He's going to see Fyora right now to get something to 'bind us together.' This is going to be a long week. That's probably how long it'll take for him to come back. This is gonna suck, you know that?" Taunt floated over and landed on her shoulder, rubbing his furry face on hers and the two of them just sat in silence until boredom eventually put them both to sleep. She had dreams of her wearing loud and heavy chain-mail and carrying a clumsy, heavy sword way to big for her.


	2. From Clog Duty to Tales of Doom

**From Clog Duty to Tales of Doom**

It took five days to go to Faerieland and, with the help of the faeries, only one to get back. Tor was pleased with the collar he held in his hand, blessed by Fyora that whoever wears it will be unable to go anywhere without his permission, and he would be able to find the person without a problem, being drawn by the magic between his sword and the necklace.

As he approached the castle he sighed with relief to see it had not fallen during his absence. Even thirty years later he still felt the paranoia that if he looked away for a moment it would be in ruins. The guard at the front gate bowed, asked him how he was and informed him that Demona was still in her prison -erm, room- waiting for him. He smiled as he entered the all-too familiar Meridell castle and breathed in the aroma of perfume and... Did he detect a hint of Miamouse poop?

However, his relaxing return was short-lived as he neared Demona's room, the guards standing stone-still until he reached them. There was a lot of noise coming from inside.

"What's going on in there?" he asked the two Red Draik twin guards.

"W-well," the one on the right replied, "the g-girl had gotten annoying after a w-while, so w-we..."

"Oh, do stop stuttering, brother," the other rebuked. "Have some pride! We gave her something to keep her busy and not bang on the door constantly. Go in and see for yourself," he added with a grin. Tor walked in the room and saw Demona sitting in front of a machine. She seemed to be playing a game, and when Tor got a closer look he put his paw on his muzzle, shaking his head.

"Die, Sloth minions!" she screamed as she fought through the fourth level of 'The Return of the Return of Dr. Sloth.'

"My goodness," he muttered to himself as he quickly put the necklace around her neck. Taunt hissed from her bed, but she didn't budge, being totally hooked on the game. He reached behind the machine and unplugged it from the wall. When the screen went blank, Demona fell back in her chair from surprise, hitting the floor with a crash. When he hurried to the front to check on her, she was sprawled out on her back, irises spinning from the impact.

"For an experienced thief," he remarked, "You sure are a klutz." When he reached down to pick her up, he was swatted away by Taunt. "Well, you don't play fair." He picked up Demona and set her on the bed. "There, that better?" She shook her head and looked up at him with dazed eyes before glaring.

"So, you're back," she grumbled. "What the heck do you want now?"

He growled something too low for her to hear before saying, "Sit." Suddenly her necklace became so heavy that her head hit the ground with a thud.

"What the freaking heck was that?!" She inquired with rage. She looked at her new accessory and hissed. "Why I oughta... How the heck did you get it on me without me noticing? Can you use magic too?"

"I slipped it on while you were hooked on that game," he said, pointing to the machine simply. "It's amazing how a thief like you can be so easily distracted."

"I'm only fifteen," she grumbled, "it's not that hard to do. When I get older, I'm going to become a Zen Master, like the Techo Master at Mystery Island, and I'll get rid of this... This..." She just noticed how incredibly shiny the necklace was, with its silver chain and its large sapphire embedded in the amulet. Suddenly she did not want to take it off. Ever.

"From now on, you do as I say, only what I say and you do it right after I say it, understood?"

"Forget you," she hissed, tugging at the necklace. "What the... it's not coming off! Hey!"

"You heard what I said," he concluded. "Now for your duties. You may have the title of squire, but you will not become a knight like the others. You will work here at the castle until I say otherwise, and that will probably never happen with your attitude."

"I told you before that I _don't take orders from you_!"

"Sit," he said, and the necklace brought her head down to the floor again. "Fyora got the idea for that spell from the anime 'Inu Yasha.' Useful, don't you think?" He smiled and walked out of the room, beckoning her to follow. She followed, her arms crossed across her chest as he gave her a tour of the castle with Taunt on her shoulder.

After they finished up they went to the mess hall and for the first time in a long time she had a 'real meal.' She got a tray, jumped in the line of knights and squires, and got some Orange Chicken, a couple Owabits, a Furanga Fruit, a Can of Neocola and some Qando Fruit Punch.

"This is the life!" she said as she downed the last of her Neocola. Her empty plate lay on the table and her stomach wasn't making any hungry sounds. "And he calls this punishment? This is awesome!"

"The food comes with the job," Tor said as they put their trays away. "However, now it's time for you to get to work. As a squire, you have a lot of jobs."

"Aww, come on! I'm not the working type!"

He slapped her upside the head and said "Well you are now! Your first duty will be clog duty, just as a lesson to you that talking back to a knight is not on your agenda, unless you want your head to hit the floor." She flinched and rubbed the right side of her head. She is still sure she has a bruise, because there is a tender spot around that area. Taunt hissed at him and batted at his muzzle.

"Ok, fine I'll bite. What the heck is clog duty?"

"Remember that sewer you jumped down when you escaped your cell?" She nodded, for how could she forget the smell and the Slorgs and tentacles in the distance? "Clog duty is where you can go down there and get rid of any clogs in there."

"Oh, hecks no!" she said, and when he opened his mouth she lay down quickly on the floor in a relaxed position. "I'm not going down there into that heap of random sewage crap with its slorgs and tentacles and Fyora knows what else."

"Yes you are," he growled, picking her up by her shirt. "You will go down there and you will clear out the clogs. I did it thirty years ago and if an inexperienced farm-boy can do it, so can a young and agile thief! Now GO!" He threw her forward and through a door before slamming it shut. Gerald, who was writing something at the other end of the room, looked up and snickered.

"Clog duty?" he asked, managing to somehow control his opinion of the irony they were presently knee-deep in.

"Shove it," she and Taunt both hissed. "Just open the door already, will you?" Gerald unlocked the large wooden door with a smile and let her down into the all-to-familiar dungeon she had escaped from about a week ago.

The smell was just as bad, if not worse, as she remembered. The sloshing under her feet was a sickening sound strengthened by the stench of sewage as she hurried through it all. Taunt was floating close behind her, following her as she looked for clogs in the sewer. She came into contact with many tentacles and a few Slorgs, destroyed about three clogs and brought her sewage-soaked fur out of the hole for three days in a row. She was promptly in the shower every day immediately after going into the horrible stench of the sewers. It was amazing how often clogs formed. However, on the fourth day, she discovered that the tentacles were using Slorg-slime to form nests and make new baby tentacles. She killed as many Slorgs as she could find and used Spyder Silk to block the Slorgs from accessing the sewers. Every squire in the castle was grateful that someone had stopped the strange infestation, even though she did not claim to be the genius behind it all. She did not need squires flocking to her with praise and thank-you's.

"I'm never doing clog duty again," she said after her eighth day in a row. "Besides, there aren't even any clogs anymore now that I've stuffed the Slorgs' entrances with Spyder webs." Taunt mewed in agreement as he stretched himself on the damp bench outside of the squire showers. "I'd be surprised if the squires even find anymore tentacles! I think I killed at least twenty today. Even without the nests they seem to rapidly multiply. It ain't fair!" She sat down next to the sitting Meowclops and started to pet it, hearing a deep purr rumble through the fog of the shower she had just finished. She shook the water off her fur and into a drain in the floor before putting on a clean pair of loose-fit clothes. When she walked outside, Tor was waiting for her.

"The food area is closed now," he said, "so I left some clawmatoes, a meaty pot pie and a cup of hot borovan in your room. Eat up and rest up. Tomorrow it's back to the grind."

"What do other neopets see in becoming a squire? There's nothing interesting about this position until you become a knight a couple years after you joined up. Two years of clog duty is like sun-tanning in Darigan Citadel; Impossible." She threw a towel over her shoulder and walked to her room. She was happy that in the past two weeks at this Fyora-forsaken castle the other squires were not allowed inside.

Tor had taken her games out of her room, so it was back to its old boring look. Having nothing else to do, she jumped onto her bed, buried her face in her pillow and closed her eyes. She was asleep within seconds, dreaming of the one and only thing she ever enjoyed about this castle; the food.

Meanwhile Tor was outside the castle on watch with the twin Draiks, Aaron and Jack. He looked up at the sky as something bright caught his eye. Someone was coming down on wings forged by pure magic. He lifted his sword and shield until he saw who it was. It was Roberta!

"W-who is that, sir?" Aaron stuttered.

"That's Roberta," he said with a smile. "Long time no see," he called into the air. As she stopped to wave, a fireball shot pasted her and a loud 'WOOPEE!' echoed throughout the deserted streets. A Red Lutari landed belly-first onto the paved road and skidded to a halt at Tor's feet.

"For heaven's sake, Thomas!" Roberta yelled as she landed. "Not only do you enjoy showing off but you singed your fur! Hello Tor," she beamed with a bow. "We came to check on Meridell as well as to bear bad news. However, we will tell the tidings to your king in the morning. May we enter?"

"Of course!" Tor said happily. "Though the news doesn't sound appealing, I must say it is terrific to see you again!" She beamed as they all entered the castle.

"Don't worry," she said, "I know where the guest quarters are, and Thomas will sleep in with the squires."

"I'm sorry," Tor apologized, "but the squire rooms are full."

"Aww," Thomas sighed, "Roberta says you have a spare room for extra squires. Surely that one isn't full."

"W-well," he said, imagining a very irritated Demona tying Thomas over a boiling cauldron, lit by a fire the show-off mage-in-training created through magic. "That room isn't available at the moment, I'm afraid."

"Oh nonsense," Roberta said, "Thomas can sleep alone in the room if that's what you're worried about."

"That's not exactly it," he said. "Well, I suppose..."

"Great!" Thomas said excitedly. "Do you have any other training mages?"

"Nope," he said as they started walking towards the spare room, his mind spinning for ideas of a different room. He came up with zilch. "There aren't any more that are training, but we have a castle mage.

"Oh," Roberta said. "I think I'd like to meet him."

"Alright then, I'll have him meet with you tomorrow during breakfast," Tor confirmed. "I'm sure as mages you two will have an awful lot to talk about." They reached the room and Tor was sweating beneath his fur. What could he do now? It was too late to come up with a better idea, so he opened the door and let them inside. Demona was sleeping soundly on the other side of the room while Tor set up another bed for Thomas.

"Good night, Tor," Roberta called as she went up the stairs from the main hall to the guest quarters.

"'Night," he replied with a smile. It sure is nice to see a familiar face again.

Demona woke up in the middle of the night. She saw a bed next to hers and sat up immediately. There was no one in it, but she saw some shuffling in the back of the room and drew out her daggers. Suddenly there was a loud noise and a Red Lutari fell into the light.

"What the..!" she exclaimed. "Who the heck are you? What are you doing in my room?"

"Your room?" he replied indignantly. "This is a spare room for squires and mages in training! It doesn't belong to you." He brought out his training wand and waved it around in her face. "I'm a mage in training, so I can..." His voice trailed off as Demona hissed and suddenly a giant Ghost Meowclops came out of the shadowy side of the room and roared. With a loud, shrill scream he ran out the door and all through the castle. Back in the room Taunt shrank back to normal size and curled up next to Demona as she fell back asleep, an impish smile playing across her darigan lips.

"Roberta!" he shouted as he burst into her room. "Roberta, there's a demon in the castle that can summon ghosts!"

"What are you talking about?" she yawned as she turned on the lamp on her nightstand.

"A Darigan Kougra that can summon ghosts. Big ones!" He threw out his arms to show the size. "She's evil and sleeping in the spare squire room. We have to tell Sir Tor!"

"That Kougra was always there," she retorted. "We saw her in there sleeping while Tor set up a bed for you."

"But does he know she can summon ghosts?" he persisted. "We need to warn him that the castle is in..." He was cut off as the door burst open behind him and Tor entered the room, arguing loudly with Demona.

"Waking up the whole castle in the middle of the night," he growled angrily, "scaring the crap out of the squires in the next room, and to add to it you've..."

"It's her!" Thomas screeched, backing up against the wall. "That's the Kougra! She can summon ghosts, Sir Tor! She brought one out from the grave to attack me!"

"He, he, he," came a ghostly voice. "Mroow, aer." Taunt was on Demona's shoulder, giggling in a ghost-like manner.

"What he said was that the guy was waving his wand around threateningly," she interpreted. "I agree with Taunt that he snuck into my room and started to attack me with magic!"

"You're the one who attacked!" Thomas yelled.

"No, you did!" she hissed.

"You!"

"You!"

The two continued to argue while Tor ate some green tea tablets, heated up by a fire mote, to calm his nerves. Roberta reached out with her paw and he handed her a couple as well.

"This is why I didn't want him in the same room as her," he sighed as he shook his head.

"I'm sorry I insisted on it," Roberta concurred. The two pets were slowing down with the name calling and accusations after it went on and on for twenty long minutes, eventually stopping to catch their breath as they ran out of insults.

"Now that you two are finally finished," Roberta said, rubbing her temples, "What are we going to do about this?"

"The rest of the castle must be awake by now," Tor sighed, sitting in a royal-blue chair against the wall. "Hopefully the news you need to tell to King Scarl in the morning will be enough to distract the castle from the presently inevitable mutiny." Roberta glared at Thomas, who shrank back and away.

"I'm never bringing you to Meridell again," she promised. "Now King Scarl may not even want to hear the tidings we were to bring."

"She started it," he argued, causing Demona to hit him in the back of the head. "Ow," he said as he sat on the floor, dazed.

"Sit." Demona hit the ground hard, as dazed as Thomas.

"What kind of trick is that?" Roberta asked with interest. "I may need to use that in the future."

"I'll explain that and more at lunch tomorrow, if you'd care to join me."

"Gladly," she said with a smile before they both blushed and looked away.

Still dazed, Demona sat up and started to chant "Roberta and Tor, sittin' in a tree..."

"Don't you dare," Tor warned, but to no avail.

"K-I-S-S-I-N-G." The horrified look on Tor's face was revenge for eight days of clog duty and a lot of the word 'sit.' Eventually Thomas joined in the chant, and the two kept it up like drunkards, sitting dazed on the floor while Tor blushed and Roberta fumed, glaring at the squire and mage-in-training duo as the mockery continued.

"Oh, just shut up already!" Roberta shouted, grabbing her wand from the nightstand, waving it and taping their mouths shut. While they hummed the tune instead of singing the words, Roberta began to explain the reason of their visit to Tor.

"Dark clouds again?!" he asked in astonishment. "But the Darkest Faerie has been defeated! We saw it ourselves. Heck, we practically _did_ it ourselves!"

"These clouds are different from hers," she continued. "They don't make pets mad with darkness like the other clouds did. As these black clouds spread, the lands of Neopia are being enslaved, Neopians frightened and the fighting will of heroes and defenders sucked away."

"So," Tor observed from her words, "Instead of driving pets to madness it seems to make them ghouls? Classic."

"However," she continued, "Pets with darkened hearts are unaffected by these ever-spreading clouds, and those who choose to follow and serve the darkness seem to receive strength and power. This darkness is more lenient than that with the Darkest Faerie conjured, and is coming from the Haunted Woods. My sources say that the further the clouds spread, the stronger the barrier guarding the source. Only loyal servants to the clouds can enter the unknown lair."

"This could be the work of the three Dark-Faerie sisters," Tor suggested.

"I wish, but we weakened them in out last battle with them far too much for them to have the strength for this kind of magic."

"Does Jhudora have anything in the Haunted Woods?"

"Zilch," Roberta said with her head on her paw.

"But if the clouds suck the will out of heroes, how are we supposed to fight it? I doubt our amulets will protect us from the darkness this time."

"I don't know," she sighed with a shrug.

"How far have the clouds spread?"

"The clouds have already completely covered the Haunted Woods, The Lost Desert, Altador, Shenkuu, Tyrannia and Maraqua."  
"So far so quickly?" he gasped.

"No," she said. "We have reason to believe this all started three-to-five years after the fall of the Darkest Faerie. It started in the Haunted Woods, but since most pets there are dark anyways there wasn't any worry. I believe that the clouds built up strength from the purple clouds from thirty years ago before they disappeared, and five years ago began to spread across the planet."

"How can anyone make such a precise guess on such little information?" he inquired.

"The Space Faerie contacted Fyora, me and the other faeries. She said that strange clouds have been moving over for quite some time, but being the Space Faerie she didn't know much about how things work down here. However, I forgot to mention that the clouds have also moved outside of the planet and have taken over Kreludor, and the Virtupets Space Station is under attack at this very moment."

"First thing in the morning I'll make sure every knight is in the hall to hear this," Tor promised. "This needs to be heard by all ears, not just the ears of the King."

"Good night," she said as Tor dragged out a sleeping Demona.


	3. The Messenger of Darkness

**The Messenger of Darkness**

The next morning Demona arose with a great deal of energy, much to Tormund's dismay. Everyone in the castle was on his heels complaining about her disruptive behavior the previous night. Thomas was in question, too, but Demona seemed to be getting the worst of it. After all, Thomas was just a temporary resident. Demona was living in the castle, so she could do more damage. By the afternoon Tor was worn out by the constant nagging and yelling, so when everyone left to hear Roberta's tales of doom, he relaxed in a chair as far away from any breathing thing as possible.

"Hello, Tor!" Roberta said as she made her way to the center of the room. A friendly face and a soft voice were an angelic combination to him right now. However, he was soon accompanied by a tired Thomas and a very hyper Demona. That combination outweighed that of Roberta's. Demona was singing the word 'doom' over and over in a strange yet annoying tune.

"Would you stop singing that?" he snapped.

"But it's the Doom Song!" she countered. "Gir is a genius! Do not doubt the power of the Doom Song." Whoever Gir may be, Tor just wanted to strangle him –or, is it a her?- with his bare paws.

"You watch Invader Zim?" Thomas asked, his eyebrows rising just before he produced a very large yawn.

"I haven't seen much of the show," she replied, "but that doesn't make Gir any less of a genius." She started singing the song again.

"She's starting," Tor interrupted. Demona stopped singing and Thomas straightened up. 'Finally,' Tor thought to himself.

"I, King Scarl, Lord of Meridell, now give Ambassadress Roberta permission to share her tidings." After speaking, King Scarl coughed a bit before sitting back in his chair to listen.

"Thank you, great king," Roberta said with slightly exaggerated praise. Tor fought to suppress a snort. He knew how much she hated being called an 'Ambassadress.' "I have come with very bad news, I'm afraid. Though thirty years have passed since the fall of the Darkest Faerie, it has now become known to me that a new threat is upon us. As you know, the Darkest Faerie controlled mystical purple clouds to drive neopets mad. Now, black clouds of a similar sort have come from the Haunted woods, and are spreading to the West. Many kingdoms have fallen to them, and they're moving around Neopia. They will eventually reach our kingdoms unless we stop them."

The room became silent at the mention of the Darkest Faerie. However, worried whispers began to spread through the room the more she said. King Scarl looked pensive, as well as a little bored. "Well, these are bad tidings," he said with a sigh. "Is there any more that you can tell us about this mysterious force?"

"Yes, your majesty," Roberta replied. "As you know, we are not the only kingdoms in Neopia with a small army of knights at our disposal. Everyone around Neopia has an army of their own to defend them. However, those who fight against the enemy quickly lose hope and become ghosts of their former selves, not even willing to take a stand against the hopelessness that they feel."

"But then how can we fight?" a knight called from the crowd. Many grunted in agreement and waited for Roberta to answer.

"I'm not sure," she answered slowly. "I was hoping to talk with Fyora about this matter, but I had to come here first to bring warning to-"

"My Lord!" gasped a breathless Green Techo, "my Lord, I bring news from the scouts!"

"Yes, yes, what is it?" Scarl asked in impatience.

"Something is coming, something big!" he reported. "Black clouds are on the move in this direction from across the sea. They move slowly, but it may only be days before they reach us, and they don't look like a natural storm of any sort. We suspect powerful dark magics."

"You see?" Roberta continued. "They are already coming! We must act quickly to push back the clouds. We may need the help of other lands to fight this. Perhaps Fyora can buy us some time by keeping the clouds at bay while we seek assistance. I request Sir Tormund to accompany me in this quest."

"Yes, of course he shall join you!" the King announced. "We must do everything we can. I shall also request the help of Illusen to-"

"No need, great King," interrupted a bold, feminine voice. "I was already on my way when I felt the darkness approaching." Demona's ears went flat and she backed off a bit. She isn't all that fond of Illusen. She's a Jhudora fan.

"Ah, Illusen," Scarl greeted with just enough formality as was necessary. "Your timing is impeccable! Tell us, have you sensed the presence of another faerie? Perhaps the Dark-Faerie Sisters? Have they regained their powers?"

"No, this is not the work of a faerie," she sighed. "This is the work of an ancient being, but that is all I can sense. This evil is very strong and reeks of older magics. In fact, I wonder if this creature knew the Darkest Faerie back when she was stopped the first time, for they use similar methods and this one's timing couldn't be better. I'm sure there's a connection."

"Well then, let's get going!" King Scarl stood up to emphasize his ownership of the speaking floor. "Sir Tormund, Ambassadress Roberta, I lay on you the task of destroying these menacing clouds. Illusen, contact Fyora, we must have an audience with her immediately!"

"Of course," Illusen complied, taking a slight bow before exiting the hall. The knights filed out with Tor and Roberta at the front.

"That went well," Tor sighed in resignation. "Looks like we have to go all over Neopia to stop this menace. At least with the Darkest Faerie we didn't have to travel far from home."

"Yes, that is true," Roberta agreed. "However, this has to be done. Thomas, gather your things, we are leaving today for Brightvale to inform my Uncle of our task."

"Yes, ma'am," he said, and he hurried off to the spare squire room.

"I'll get ready as well," Tor said. "Looks like we have a long battle ahead of us."

"Well, have fun," Demona yawned, stretching her arms upward. "I have things to do, you know? Sleeping, eating, clog duty…"

"Not so fast," Tor growled, grabbing her purple ear and dragging her away from her destination. "You're coming too."

"Aww!" she whined, flailing her arms. "I don't want to save the world! I mean, I'm a dark pet, so you see? This is good for me! Why would I want to interfere?"

"Because," Tor roared back, "you are my squire and you do what I say whether you like it or not!"

"How many times do I have to remind you that I DON'T TAKE-"

"There is another reason," Roberta mused to herself. Tor and Demona stopped arguing and slowly turned to look at her. "You know how I mention that it sucks the will out of those affected, right?"

"Yea, what's you're point?"

"Well, if the will is sucked out of everyone, they don't work." Demona raised an eyebrow, which was Roberta's cue to continue. "If nobody works, then crops and fields can't be harvested. Bakers won't bake cakes, cookies, brownies or anything. Not even the Soup Faerie would have the will to go on. In short, if these black clouds take over, there won't be any food."

That hit home. Demona's look of horror was priceless. She was clearly thinking of all the great food in the castle that has kept her from being hungry. The cooks are good people. If these black clouds come to Meridell, they won't want to cook any more…

"So," Demona finally said with a nervous laugh, "Where do we start?"

* * *

Later that very day, the four travelers were on their way to Brightvale. Demona carried most of the baggage with Thomas, while Tor and Roberta walked on unburdened.

"OK," Demona hissed in exasperation. "There is a difference between apprenticeship and slavery, you know." When Tor just looked over his shoulder at her, she began ranting. "Oh, come on! You are five times stronger than me and _I'm doing all the work_! Stop being a lazy bum and carry something!" Taunt gave a long 'Mrow' in agreement.

"Sit," he ordered, and Demona's head hit the ground, all of the luggage falling on top of or around her. Thomas started laughing so hard he fell to his knees. Demona shook off her burden and lunged for him. The two went rolling down a slight hill, punching and kicking and scratching at each other in the grass. A few seconds after the fight began, the two were pulled apart by an invisible force and floated above the ground for a moment before being set back on their feet.

They continued walking with Demona and Thomas still carrying everything. The only difference between then and now is the fact that Demona is a little bruised and Thomas has a few light scratches on his arms.

After a lot of walking and a little more bickering, they arrived at Brightvale. When they approached the gates, however, there were no guards.

"Aaeerrr," Taunt moaned. He then disappeared and hid in one of the bags. Something was scaring him badly.

"That's odd," Roberta said slowly as she inspected the area surrounding the gates. "They should have someone watching the entrance, especially with the upcoming threat." After chanting a few words, the gates opened by some mystical force. When they entered the great city, they suddenly realized why no one was watching the gate.

Everyone in the city, from common merchants to palace guards, was watching the single black cloud hovering just above the village. It was a menacing sight indeed, and it lingered there, rumbling a bit within itself but otherwise unmoving.

"Roberta," Tor whispered. He gave her a sideways glance and she nodded. She walked forward towards the center of town, directly beneath the cloud of darkness. However, before she could get close to it, a bolt of deep purple lightning shot out and struck the ground right in front of her.

Cries of shock rose from nearby civilians as they jumped back. Roberta lost her balance and fell backwards onto the ground. Tor ran to her and helped her to get back onto her feet. However, Thomas had already pulled Demona over to a shaded area and was planning to act quickly.

"Listen, I still don't like you, and you don't like me. We agree to dislike each other, right?" Thomas whispered urgently.

"Yea, but what's you're point?"

"Alright, we need to find out what is up with that cloud. Because you're a thief, you are considered by law to be 'evil.' Therefore, you can probably get close to the cloud. I need you to be an outlet for a spell, but I'm not sure exactly what spell to do. We need to see inside the cloud, so probably a light spell of sorts. I mean, what if it's watching us?"

"OK, you've got a point," Demona concurred. "I think we need to see what's in it, too. If we know what to expect in the future, we may be able to stop… Wait, why am I fighting this again?"

"I think Roberta mentioned something about a food shortage or something."

"Oh, right," Demona sighed. "OK then, let's see what's in that cloud."

"Alright, give me a moment." Thomas began chanting some words while Roberta and Tor stood their ground, facing their enemy without fear.

"How dare you!" Tor roared, causing lightning to flash around the cloud. "You come into our lands and attack us so openly? Get out before you're thrown out!" The cloud suddenly became alive with rapid-moving dark electricity and a vicious wind began to blow around them.

"If you will not leave," Roberta called over the sound, "then please, tell us what you want. Perhaps we can settle this peaceably." The cloud slowly settled back to its normal form as if satisfied with her agreement. 'So it can be reasoned with,' she thought.

"I don't like this," Tor muttered under his breath. No one took notice of a small light appearing from the shadows, momentarily exposing Thomas and Demona.

**"I am here to negotiate,"** the cloud boomed, its deep voice filling the kingdom easily.

"Negotiate what?" Tor asked, standing tall. He knew what it was going to say before he even asked.

**"Your surrender,"** it replied, the deep voice smooth and sinister. **"You will surrender to the will of the great one."**

"Who is your master?" Roberta inquired. "Why must we surrender to a being whose name we do not know?"

**"Insolence!"** The cloud exploded into action for a moment before taming down again. **"Very well, your ignorance can be forgiven… For now. He is the Lord of Despair, a great being of darkness. That is all you need to know."**

"I don't like the sound of him," Tor mocked, folding his arms.

**"And you will not, if you do not obey his wishes."**

"We of Brightvale have no intentions of-"

"Wait!" called a familiar voice from the shadows. Demona walked out gracefully into the light, and took a few steps toward the cloud before leaping into the air. With her wings spread, she hovered only a few feet away from the cloud's edge. Of everyone in the kingdom, she was now the closest to the cloud. It showed no signs of attacking her.

"Demona, get away from it!" Tor commanded. "Get down here now!"

"How can we trust you to your word?" Demona inquired, her arms crossed in a disbelieving but non-insulting manner. "How do we know we will be safe if we obey your master?"

**"My Lord does not break his promises,"** the cloud said softly. **"Surely a being of darkness like yourself can understand that much."**

"No, not really," Demona replied with a shrug. "I am nothing more than a thief. Lying and cheating is an… Occupation, if you will." The cloud gave a small chuckle. Tor was sweating under his armor. What is she doing?

**"What would it take to convince you, oh creature of the night?"** The cloud asked, its smooth tone becoming deeper and richer.

"No thief I know of trusts a messenger they do not know. However, we can not even see who is speaking on your master's behalf. Perhaps you will reveal yourself to us?" The cloud seemed to coil for a moment, as if to consider whether or not it should take insult to this lesser being's demands. However, it seemed to decide against it and relaxed into its normal form once more.

**"To reveal myself would be to reveal my weakness. I can not reveal myself to you. I hope you can understand, oh inquisitive one."** Demona gave a sigh and seemed to look down to think. Really she was looking down at the shadows she had abandoned a moment ago, and Thomas gave her the thumbs up.

"Very well," she growled. The cloud coiled again at her tone, but reacted too slowly. Suddenly she gave an ear-piercing screech, and a great beam of light shot out of her open maw. The darkness shrieked and struggled, but eventually the cloud fell away and the beam of light shrank to a small beam before disappearing completely. All that was left was a large Shadow Korbat hovering there. Now she realized its meaning when it claimed that revealing itself would show its weaknesses. Shadow neopets have a hard time in the light.

Shadow Korbats are flat-out blinded by it.

It screeched as it fluttered about, its eyes shut tight to lessen the painful glare of sunlight. Demona also saw something else: its ears were glowing. The power that was given to him is in his ears! Demona moved fast. She flew over to it with great speed and sliced them off. Still shrieking, the pitiful creature fell to the ground, writhing in agony. Tor was upon him within seconds of his crash-landing. He bound it with rope where its wings sprouted from its wrists.

"Alright!" Thomas shouted, running from the shadows. Demona dropped to the ground and ran to him. The two high-fived each other and laughed.

"Man, that was awesome! That spell was perfect!" Thomas bragged.

"Well, you picked the perfect neopet to pull it off."

"Well, you are the only dark neopet around, you know."

"Hey, you couldn't have had better help than me! Who else could pull that off?"

"Well, I could name a few."

"And you're the best mage in the kingdom? Why did I even let you do the spell? If Roberta had done it…"

"Now wait a minute!"

The two of them went head to head while all the citizens crowded around them. Though they wanted to congratulate them, they also didn't want to get between the two not-so-friendly allies.

"Thank goodness," Tor sighed as he watched them. Guards from the castle collected their burden and carried him to the dungeon. "The day those two get along will be the day the world ends."

"I don't know… I heard that young love can generally start this way."

"Oh please don't say that," Tor begged with a shiver. "That is not something I would EVER want to see." Tor looked over at the two of them. Then he realized that not only _would_ he not want to see it, but he just flat out _could_ not see it happening. Ever.

"Sir Tor, Lady Roberta!" They turned to see the castle page was calling them, waving wildly at them. They walked over to him, all the while telling him to calm down. "I'm sorry for being so enthusiastic, but that was amazing! What a tremendous idea! How did you know to plan such a tactic? Oh, never mind! You must come and tell your uncle, the great king of Brightvale, everything that you know at once!"

"Of course, Daryl, of course," Roberta rushed the excited page. "Let's go see my uncle!" Daryl talked rapidly as they practically ran to the Brightvale Great Hall. King Hagan greeted them with a big smile and slow applause.

"After that grand show of yours, you have many admirers, my dear niece," he chuckled.

"Uncle!" Roberta cried with relief. "You aren't hurt or anything, are you? What happened?"

"Well, we were awaiting your return, of course," he began. "However, not long before you returned a strange black cloud traveled over our walls and stopped above the square. When I saw it, I insisted on going outside, but the guards refused, insisting that I needed to be protected. Thank goodness the gate guards weren't at their post, or they may have prevented you from entering as well!"

"I'm glad the kingdom of Brightvale is safe for the moment, but more is on the way," Tor warned. "Now we know that single clouds can be defeated with light, but we need much more in order to fight the large masses that are forming everywhere else. Illusen is already contacting Fyora to set up a meeting."

"Good, good!" Hagan praised. "Alright, now you must tell me: how did you come up with such a plan? According to those who came in here a moment ago, you were too busy trying to talk to the enemy to have planned it right then. How did you know of the danger?"

"Well, we didn't," Roberta answered truthfully. "To be honest, uncle, it wasn't our idea. It was Thomas and Tormund's squire, Demona, who came up with this plan."

"Young Thomas?" gasped a very surprised Hagan. "Well, who would have though? And who is this Demona you speak of? A squire accompanied you here?"

"Not by choice, but yeah, I'm here," Demona answered flatly. King Hagan stood up quickly when he saw the Darigan Kougra enter his halls. She seemed very relaxed and was not wearing Meridell armor.

"A Darigan as a Meridellian squire," Hagan mused. "What an odd occupation for your kind."

"Yea, the pay is bad," she sighed, "but the food makes up for it. Speaking of which, where is the dining hall? I'm starved!" Tor rubbed his temples for a moment before heaving a great sigh. He has come to expect her to think with her stomach, anyways.

"Of course you are!" Hagan boomed. "Daryl, show her to the kitchens. Let her eat her fill. After all, she did get rid of the cloud for us! And let Thomas in as well, since he was also key in saving the kingdom from this menace." Daryl took a deep bow and did as he was told. Demona followed him out and the doors were closed.

"You'll have to excuse her," Tor said quickly. "She isn't exactly a squire by choice." Tor explained to Hagan how he had come to be her trainer and master. When he finished his tale, Hagan let out a booming laugh.

"Ah, so she works for food, does she?" he chuckled. "Very well then! As long as she is here, she may eat her fill. It is not hard to believe she was a thief, but I believe that she will end up being invaluable in your quest! And Thomas, too. It seems that they can work together even though they despise each other. This is good, for you will need all the help you can get." Tor was actually a bit surprised by how well Hagan was taking this news. When the suggestion was made in the castle to turn her into a squire, everyone there had opposing opinions of sorts.

They left the King to himself and walked to their rooms. Their baggage had been carried there by the servants of the castle. Tor and Roberta were in rooms across the hall from each other, with their apprentices in the neighboring rooms.

Meanwhile, Thomas and Demona were in the kitchens stuffing themselves. When they had finally finished, they walked back to their rooms, not even looking at each other. It was clear to anyone that there was a slight rivalry between the two of them, but not enough of one for them to go against each other. That night they all slept soundly, tired from the long day they had and dreading the perilous journey to come.

* * *

"My lord, we have lost Tauruk."

"The messenger I sent to Brightvale?"

"Yes sir."

"Aww, pity," sighed a deep, smooth voice. "And he was so loyal… Is he dead?"

"No, he has been captured and imprisoned. He is probably to be interrogated."

"Well, that just won't do. He can't be allowed to live."

"Sir, his center of power has been removed. He is no longer connected to us. We can do nothing to him now. Also, it appears that he was defeated by a Darigan Kougra."

"A Darigan? Why would a creature of darkness interfere? I know Lord Darigan is neutral, but why would a Darigan go against us?"

"This creature removed his center of power before we could get any more info, but it appears to be a young female. The cloud was obliterated when a beam of light shot from her mouth, and that is everything that we know."

"A dark being using light magic? How odd."

"What will we do now, oh Lord of Despair?"

"Hmm, things could become interesting now," he stated, smiling to himself. "Continue on with the plan. It seems we have some work to do."

* * *

Well, I'm happy to say that I have not died or anything, since I'm sure some of you thought that I did. Other than that though, I am going to try and get back into fanfic writing. However, 1 week from today I start college, so heaven knows what I'm gonna be able to do during that time. I am glad to post chapter three of this story though and hope that you enjoy it!


	4. Gypsy Gift

**Gypsy Gift  
**

The next couple days were all about preparation. Roberta and Tor combined their neopoints, which brought them all a tidy sum. Demona was angry because Tor would not let her hold on to her share. Thomas was not given his entire share, but he at least had something in his paws.

Demona and Taunt were given the honorary duty of packing for the trip. What were they packing?

Food.

Demona had an eye for the best. She raided the kitchens without paying any mind to the rioting cooks outside the locked doors. Though Meridell castle had foreign food in order to make up for what the kingdom lacked, that was not the case in Brightvale. Almost all the food they own is grown and made within their own kingdom. Though Demona can respect that, there is one problem that leaves her with:

Most of Brightvale's food, if not all of it, is fruits and vegetables.

However, she did find some food from Meridell, probably to accommodate the tastes of travelers. So along with bowls and cups she packed a lot of Chunky Meaty Stew and Extra Creamy Soup, because it would be the last thing to go bad since it is canned. To go along with those, she picked up some Potato Stuffed Peppers, Jipple Pears, Passionberries, Dewy Apples and her personal favorite to keep for herself: Magenorbs and Magenorb Juice.

As Demona prepared their food for travel, Thomas went from one place to the next, gathering other supplies and packing only what was needed. In his own bag he carried his favorite books, most of them scrolls full of spells for him to try. He has a special talent for Fire and Light spells. However, he also practices the other elements, including some Dark spells. Though Dark magic isn't usually allowed for mages in training, he bought some scrolls under Roberta's name and keeps them close. He packed those with his other books.

That wasn't all he did behind Roberta's back. He also knows a Gypsy trader that travels abroad who is coming to Brightvale today. This trader packs fast though, so he memorized her times of appearance and sometimes learns a trick or two from her. She is not a 'legal' merchant per say, but she does otherwise abide by the law and therefore is not hunted down for a bounty.

He made his way out of the castle and through the square. He did not duck into shadows to avoid detection or hop from roof to roof. He just walked casually by different stalls, waving at friends and bragging whenever an admirer of a couple days ago talks to him. When he finally reached his destination, he grinned to himself. There was a little tent just inside the wall, with a nightstand out front. The entranced was closed, so he approached the nightstand.

"And what might I do for you?" whispered an alluring voice. "Perhaps there is a wish I can grant you."

"I know your powers," he answered. "After all, you've shared a few secrets with me." The tent entrance opened a crack and he went inside. Immediately he was in a large carnival tent full of strange knick-knacks, food, Petpets and more.

"Ah, a regular," said the Mutant Zafara behind the counter. "Oh, and not just that, but my personal favorite!" She made her way around the counter with a grin showing her off-colored, broken teeth. "What can I do for you today, dear boy?"

"I assume you know about the black clouds?" he inquired.

"Oh, of course I do hun! They get in my way of business, they do. I pass through as a neutral party, so they don't bother me, but those they reside over have no will to buy my wares! Oh, what's a traveling merchant to do? I may stay here longer just to make my quota!" She sniffed a couple times before walking up to the Petpet cages.

"Well, I'm going on a quest to get rid of them. Hopefully when they're gone your business will pick back up."

"Oh how wonderful!" she cheered, her voice cracking a bit. "Well then, I guess the reason you're here is to buy supplies. Perhaps you have time to learn a nifty little trick too, if you're not in a hurry." He spent about an hour picking and choosing until he had the supplies he needed.

"Alright, this'll do," he said, and he pulled out his money. "How much?"

"For you, hun? Oh please, a mere two-hundred neopoints aughtta do for ya." He paid her the money and put down his goods.

"Now, I think you promised me a trick," he reminded her with a smile.

"Of course I did! And I'll teach you one. Here, watch me closely." He did. She made a few motions with her paws but did not speak a word. The more she did, the faster she got, and the less of her he saw. Suddenly she disappeared completely.

"Amazing!" he praised, watching the spot she disappeared from. "Absolutely amazing! That will certainly come in handy." However, he got no response. Nothing moved around him as he waited for her to speak. "Um, hello? Hey, can you hear me?" He walked over to where she was a moment ago and reached out to find her. No one was standing there. He felt a tap on his shoulder and turned on his heels. At first, no one was there.

"Ha!" said the merchant, and she appeared in the blink of an eye. There was no other sound and no glimmer, she just popped back into view. He yelled and fell backwards, landing on his tail.

"Whoa!" he said, regaining his footing. "H-how did you do that?"

"It is very simple," she stated with a smile. "However, the trick is this: When you're invisible, you _can not make a sound_. The moment you speak, scream or even whisper, you will appear on the spot."

"It was amazing! Show me how to do that!" And that is what she did. There were only five hand-motions that needed to be done. The trick was that they had to be done in sequence every time and needed to go by very fast after picking up speed. That was the hardest part for him. He could do it in sequence, but doing it repeatedly and gradually faster was like a tongue-twister: only easy after a lot of practice.

"Now that you have a new trick to throw at those clouds, I have another gift for you." She went over to the Petpet cages and pulled out a crate with a strange blue otter of a Petpet. "This here's a Lutra, and he's a royal pain in my rear to take care of. When he's not sleeping he has far too much energy for me. Kinda reminded me of you, so here you go." She put the little Lutra on the ground. He yawned for a moment, having been awakened from a nap, and then began to stretch. He was holding a little yellow orb of sorts, like a toy ball. As soon as he was done stretching, he looked around with wild curiosity. The moment he spotted Thomas, he just knew the Red Lutari was his master. He stuffed the yellow ball into his mouth and scurried over to him. He crawled up Thomas' leg and sat on his shoulder, nuzzling his cheek and making muffled chatter.

"He's awesome!" Thomas praised, holding him in front of his face. The Lutra made some more muffled sounds before sliding out of his grip, crawling along his arm and sitting on his head. "And he's fast!"

"And he's a little thief," the gypsy warned. "He loves shiny objects and can hide small trinkets in his cheeks. Also, he's a water pet, so make sure he has the occasional opportunity to swim."

"Thanks a ton!" he shouted, and he ran out of the tent with his things and his new Lutra, which he promptly named Skitzo.

"Alright, so we have enough food, then?" Tor inquired, looking at Demona's rather full pack.

"Yea," she replied with a shrug. "They had some Meridell food too, so I packed a lot of soup and a few fruits and veggies and what-not." She put down the food pack and stretched, tired from avoiding the angry cooks. They never did know who snuck into the kitchens, but they probably did not have a long list of suspects.

"Good, then I think we're set. Roberta went out to find Thomas, because he seems to have disappeared." The wheels in Demona's head began to turn.

"Do we really need him, though?" she asked innocently. "I mean, he's still in training and Roberta's a full-fledged mage, so what do we need him for?"

"Roberta won't leave without him," Tor sighed. "Just try not to kill each other on the way. Roberta and Thomas will be using magic to carry us to Faerieland. Since Thomas is the one carrying you, I suggest you be-"

"I don't need to be carried!" she interrupted, her tone incredulous. "I have wings, you know. I can fly up to and down from Darigan Citadel ten times each, so I think I can fly there by my own power!"

"Fine," he growled. "Be stubborn about it. But if you get exceedingly tired, don't blame me, because you'll be carrying your luggage as well as my own."

"No prob," she retorted, turning her back on him and stomping out the door. "I can do it myself." Tor face-palmed. What is he going to do with her?

Meanwhile, Roberta found Thomas near a flowing river, playing in the water.

"Thomas!" she yelled. He stopped flailing and splashing to look at her furious face. "What are you doing? We're supposed to be getting ready!"

"I got all the stuff," he defended, "but I found something really awesome!" He grabbed Skitzo and picked him up, holding him out for Roberta to see. "Isn't he amazing?"

Roberta gave an impatient sigh as she walked up and took the Petpet from his hands. She looked at him for a moment as he held his yellow orb to his chest and curled his bottom two legs upward a bit. He looked absolutely adorable. Her eyes softened as its charm seemed to affect her.

"He's so cute!" she praised. Skitzo gave a happy chirp of sorts as it slid out of her grip and jumped onto Thomas' head. However, she gave him a suspicious look. "Wait, is that a Lutra?"

"Um, yea," he answered cautiously.

"Lutra's are native to Mystery Island!" she cried. "How did you get him? Who around here sells Mystery Island merchandise?" Thomas had already thought of an excuse, but it suddenly seemed very feeble. But, it was all he had, so he tried it anyways.

"I found him in the river," he lied. "Honestly, I came over here to, um… Well…" He intended her to add the words 'goof off' at the end of that sentence, and judging by her expression that's exactly what she did. "Anyways, he was swimming around and I jumped in after him. We played a bit and I gave him some food. Now he just follows me around, see?" He picked him up off of his head and put him on the ground. When he got out of the water and walked to his pack, the little Petpet followed like a little lost puppy.

"Oh well," she sighed. "Fine, he can come with us. You have our things, right?" Thomas nodded quickly. Satisfied, Roberta turned on her heels and walked back to the castle, her apprentice not far behind with the bags.

* * *

"Alright, are you ready?" Roberta asked.

"Yea, I'm ready," Tor confirmed. Suddenly he was lifted into the air, weightless and unable to control which way he moved. For a moment his mind panicked, but he quickly regained composure. "Wow, this is great!"

"Whoa," Demona praised sarcastically. "Really impressive, you made him float. The day you learn how to fly the old fashioned way will be the day you impress-" Before she could finish speaking, she was shot into the air like a rocket. Screeching into the night, she could not move her limbs as the wind blew them back and the magic fire burned bright and hot behind her.

"You know," Roberta said to Thomas as she turned to face him, "I don't think I'll be angry with you for that." Thomas grinned and the three of them drifted upwards, far behind the screaming fireball that was hurtling quickly over to Faerieland.

* * *

Sorry it's so short, but I didn't think that adding the entrance to Faerieland really fit into this chapter. These short chappies might appear from time to time, but not often enough to become annoying. Besides, shooting Demona into the air at about 150 mph was a perfect ending to this chapter. Hope you enjoyed it!


	5. Kings and Queens

**Kings and Queens**

Roberta, Tor and Thomas reached the floating land of the faeries. They ended their flight in a small garden full of white lulus and bluebells. Roberta stretched a bit and Tor sat on the ground. After probably a couple hours of magical flight, he could really appreciate some good soil under his paws.

"How does it feel to be back here after so many years?" Roberta asked, her mood lightened by the surrounding beauty.

"Actually pretty good, given the circumstances," he replied with a half-smile, climbing back onto his feet. "I hate the idea of only coming here when we're close to doom."

"I know," she agreed with a sigh. "But at least we can enjoy the peace of-"

"LET ME GO!" They heard echo through the garden, making the very flowers jump. Thomas stifled a laugh as he recognized the angry scream.

"Well, I guess we just follow the sound," Roberta said with a shrug. Thomas fell to the ground laughing as she and Tor went up some stairs into the main section of Faerieland.

When they reached the top, they saw paradise. Faeries flitted this way and that around the Wheel of Excitement, and beyond that was the rainbow fountain in all its glory. The healing springs could be made out in the distance, and looming over it was the green and purple lair of Jhudora. When the beauty of the place was fully recognized, Tor scanned the area with his eyes until he saw a large metal cage surrounded by a group of light-faerie guards. Roberta glanced at Tor, and he glanced back. They sighed and approached the cage to see Demona shaking the bars… From the inside.

"Tor!" She cried, her eyes wide and desperate. "You've gotta get me outta here! These faeries are crazy! They think I'm a spy!" Taunt was asleep on the cage's base, lightly snoring and oblivious to the world.

"Is that true?" He inquired in amazement. He didn't know what more shocking; the fact that faeries actually caught her, or the idea that they mistook _her_ for a spy.

"Well, she must be!" The lead faerie insisted. "Why else would a _Darigan_ Kougra come to Faerieland? She actually claims to be a Meridell squire! Does she think we're stupid?"

"Come on Tor, tell them!" Demona begged, getting on her knees and giving the big kitten eyes. "Pretty please? Tell them I'm your squire and to let me go, OK?"

"That's _very_ interesting," he mused with a half-smile. "I do believe I recall you exclaiming from day one… Oh, what was that phrase, again? '_I don't take orders from you!_' Yea, that was it."

"Oh come on, that was then, this is now, right? Just tell the lovely crazy faeries the truth so that I can-"

"Take care, Demona," Tor called over his shoulder, walking away. "I've got a meeting to attend to."

Demona jumped onto the side of the cage so hard it shook. "YOU TWO-FACED SON OF A HALF-BAKED ZOMBIE TURD! GET ME OUT OF HERE!" Thomas finally came up the stairs after recovering from his fit of laughter only to fall into another at the sight of her behind bars. She roared at him and started shaking the cage violently this way and that. "Let me at him! Just open these bars, I'm gonna pulverize that little twerp!"

Tor gave a hearty laugh before turning to address the faeries. "Actually, truth be told, she is my squire. She was a thief before this, but she works for me now. If you could, I'd like her to be freed from her cage." The faeries almost fell back at his words.

"So… She was telling the truth?" One of them gasped, exchanging glances with another before looking at the angry Kougra, who was still raging in her confinement.

"Yes, she was," Roberta said with an amused grin. "But first…" As Demona continued to scream and shout, a bucket of water lifted itself from a nearby fountain and tossed its contents in her face. She fell flat on her rump and sat in a daze, water dripping from her head down to her waist, creating a puddle on the cage floor. The faeries then opened the cage and backed away quickly to give the crazy cat some room to rampage.

Demona got onto her feet and looked down at Taunt, who was still sound asleep. He had been sprayed with faerie sleeping dust, and unfortunately that stuff is not something he could ghost through, so it knocked him out. She picked him up and held him in her arms as she walked out into the bright sunlight. She closed her eyes and inhaled. The light faeries around her tensed as she took a deep breath of fresh faerie air. On her exhale she opened her eyes again and glared at the faeries.

"Well, since we're all such good friends now," she growled sarcastically, "I'm sure it wouldn't be much to ask to have a little food. I'm starving." Tor sweat-dropped while the faeries around her looked at each other with uncertainty. Annoyed, Demona added "Does it help to mention we're about to fight against the black clouds taking over Neopia?" Suddenly faeries of all elements around them erupted into cheers and approached the group. Thomas reveled in the attention while Tor and Roberta tried to escape the crowd. Demona was carried off by some dark faeries to the restaurant "Faerie Foods" where she was told she could eat her fill free of charge, while Thomas persuaded several faeries to part with special spell scrolls for him to look at.

"Well," Tor sighed, sitting just outside the cheering faerie mob, "Maybe it wouldn't hurt to get something to eat as well. Then we can go speak with-" He was cut off by an eerie silence as the world around him seemed to darken and stop. What… What was this feeling? What was this… Emptiness?

Roberta watched Tor as he slowed down and stopped talking. "What wrong?" She asked. Not getting an answer, she waved her paw in front of his eyes. She got no reaction. "Tor? Tor?" She started to shake him, and finally he snapped out of it. His head pounded and he held it in his paw. He felt like his neck would give in under its sudden intense weight.

Thomas heard Roberta's cries and quickly made his way over to her. "What's wrong?" He asked, his brow furrowed in worry. He saw that Tor looked ill and helped him to his feet. The faeries, who had calmed down, gave them room to breathe as they slowly rose.

"I th-think I just need to lie down," he rasped. He really didn't feel well, and the world around him seemed to blur a bit. Roberta took his right arm and Thomas took his left.

"We need to get him inside to lie down," Roberta told an earth faerie. "Could you get the doors for us?" Silently nodding, the faerie walked just ahead of them as they carried a dizzy, heavy Tor into the castle. Then the page showed them to an available room and they set him down on the bed. Demona burst in a moment later, her paws full of food.

"This place is amazing!" she praised. "And the food is fabul…" She stopped her sentence short when she saw an exhausted Tor sitting on the edge of a bed. Roberta and Thomas were penetrating her skull with deadly glares, and she cringed. "W-what happened to him?" She placed the food on a nearby table and walked up to him.

"Just a dizzy spell, nothing serious," he assured them. "I'm sure I'll get over it soon."

"Well, food always helps with that," Demona chimed happily. "Why don't you just eat some of this food I brought? I have lots of different-flavored faerie bubbles, a couple water faerie apples, faerie rock candies…"

"Perhaps something with sugar will help," Roberta said soothingly. "A couple faerie bubbles should do nicely."

"OK!" Demona went up to the table and picked up all the faerie bubbles she had collected. "Alright, you can choose from raspberry, voidberry, thornberry…"

Roberta silently picked up a voidberry bubble and handed it to Tor. He took it happily and bit into it. The voidberry juice dripped down his chin and he hungrily drank it dry. Then he ate the bubble, leaving only his sticky fingers to lick.

"I feel a little better." He turned to Roberta and put a paw on her leg. "Thank you."

"Hey, I'm the one who brought the food," Demona fumed as she put the rest of the bubbles back on the table. "No need to thank _me_."

"Now, tell us what happened," Roberta insisted. "What was that just now?"

"I… I don't know," Tor answered honestly. "It was like the world around me turned grey, and all movement stopped. For a moment, it was like I was completely alone… And a thought ran through my mind. A thought that has never once haunted me before."

"What thought was that?" she asked.

"'What's the point?'" He replied sadly. Demona's back straightened, but she didn't turn around.

"But what would cause you to think that?" Roberta gasped in shock. "We haven't even begun our quest!"

"I don't know," Tor sighed, dropping his head. "But I never want to feel that again."

Before anyone else could get a word in edge-wise, the page opened the door and bowed. "The queen of Faerieland is ready to see you now."

"I'm not sure if we can-" Thomas began, but Tor put a paw on his shoulder.

"It's OK, Thomas," Tor said reassuringly. "I can go to see her, don't worry." Thomas just nodded and helped him up.

"Demona," Roberta called. The Darigan Kougra did not turn, but stared out the window.

"Yea, I know," she grumbled. "Stay behind and watch our stuff." Roberta held a worried look for a moment, but she knew she had to get going, so she turned around and helped Tor out the door. When it shut behind them, Demona turned to stare at it. "What… Is the point," she echoed. She sat on the bed and pulled her knees up to her chest. "What is the point of fighting for people who judge you all the time? I know Roberta wouldn't say it, but… She just didn't want me there because a Darigan in Fyora's court.. Well…"

Roberta felt a twinge of guilt for leaving Demona alone in their room. However, if the faeries outside locked her up upon their first encounter, what would the queen do? Not wanting to dwell on the negative, she shook the thought out of her mind and held her head high.

"Here you are," the page informed them, stepping aside to let them in. He opened the door and the trio entered Fyora's throne room, where she sat in her ever-benevolent manner.

"Greeting, Lady Roberta, Sir Tor," she greeted. "I was informed that Tor is ill. Have him sit in the chair, and we will begin." Roberta and Thomas placed Tor in a very comfortable light faerie chair and stood on either side of him.

"Hello, great queen of Faerieland," Roberta greeted in return. "We have come to speak of the black clouds that have nearly taken over Neopia.

"So I thought," she said with a nod.

"What has been done so far?" Tor asked before clearing his throat.

"Illusen is preparing defenses as we speak," she informed them. "I have already sent several faeries to other nations to assist, but I have lost contact with them. The faeries you see around here are all I have left to protect us and your kingdoms. The rest are lost to me."

"No way," Thomas gasped as Tor stared blankly at the faerie queen. Roberta, however, still stood tall.

"We could help," she persisted. "We were able to take out the Darkest Faerie with very little aid."

"Yes," the queen slowly responded. "But that was with the help of your ancient talismans. They were created for the sole purpose of defeating the Darkest Faerie. This is not the same enemy. I wonder at you, Sir Tor. I fear you have already gotten a taste of the clouds' power."

"Is that… What that was?" He inquired, his yellow fur seeming to pale. "That was his power?"

"I believe so," Fyora replied. "Even now, the influence of the clouds is penetrating the light of my kingdom. Some of my faeries are becoming quick-tempered and highly suspicious of outsiders."

"We noticed," Roberta stated bluntly. "We have a Darigan companion who arrived before us, and they caged her up as a suspected spy."

As Roberta and Fyora continued to speak, Tor began to feel… Angry. He wanted to kick himself for letting his guard down and falling victim to this darkness so easily. Is that all it took to get him down now? Has 30 years really made him so week?

"I can't believe this," he growled softly. Roberta turned towards him at the sound of his anger.

"Tor…" She whispered sorrowfully. Tor quickly got to his feet, causing her to flinch.

"How could I have let myself fall so fast?" He demanded. "What kind of power is this? Not even the Darkest Faerie had that sort of strength! Is this even faerie magic?"

"…No." Fyora replied. "This is not faerie magic at all. I have already tried several protection spells, but I fear that nothing works against this magic." She stood and walked forward. "I wonder, though, if perhaps I could increase the magic in your amulets somehow. I'm not sure, but it is all I can do."

"What can we do to help?"

"While some of the knowledge of ancient magic eludes me," she began, "I do know of a few ways to enhance the magic of the amulets. One way is to become familiar with the people you are protecting, and another is to be with your family."

"I have never left my home," Roberta mused. "Is that why I was not affected along with Tor?"

"Probably," the queen agreed. "So now you must become familiar with the common people. Sir Tor? When is the last time you saw your family?"

"I have lived in Meridell, but my family insisted on never leaving the farm," he said sadly. "I have not seen them in years, but I write them often."

"Very well then," the queen declared. "You must spend time with them to increase the magic in your amulets."

"What about me?" Thomas inquired. "I don't have an amulet, and neither does Demona."

"I shall transport you to Altador at once," she announced. "There you will meet with-"

"I am already here, your majesty," rumbled a voice through the hall. King Altador walked through the door behind them and bowed. "It is a pleasure to see you again, Sir Tor; Lady Roberta."

"K-king Altador!" Tor stammered, giving a clumsy bow while trying to keep his balance.

The king let loose a chuckle before his face turned grave. "I bring bad and good news. The bad news is that the darkness is on the borders of our lands, and that our defenses are set and ready."

"Then what's the good news?" Roberta asked.

"The good news is that we do have more amulets, although they're weak from lack of use." He pulled out a small chest from his side pouch and opened it. He pulled out two amulets and put the chest away. "These should do, but they need to be charged. You have already been informed on how to do so."

"But how long will they take?" inquired Thomas, who fears years of farm-work just to get some magic going in the ancient talismans.

"Not long," the king assured them, causing Thomas to relax. "I have already met your fourth companion. She is a very… Interesting character. I think she would do well to join you on your farm, Sir Tor."

"Erm…" He grunted nervously. "If you think so… But she's not exactly work-oriented. Nor is she here of her own free will."

"It matters not," the queen interrupted calmly. "It would seem that you will be saving the world a second time, dear heroes. But at least this time you have assistance. Thomas, could you bring Demona in here to join us?"

"Sure!" he said, and he ran out of the room. He ran through the tall, arched hallways and into the main lounge, where he promptly located their room. He entered and looked around, but Demona was out on the balcony. When he approached her, he was a bit surprised.

She was balanced on her toes in a squat, her arms on her knees and her back hunched forward. Her wings were down at her sides, and it looked like she was frozen in a take-off position.

"Um… Demona?" He called. She didn't reply, but instead she stood up and jumped backward, landing on her feet inches away from where she had been a moment before.

"You and I…" she hissed, turning around on her heel, "have a score to settle!" Thomas cowered in a corner as her shadow consumed him.

Not long after this, Demona entered the throne room with a big smile on her face. "Hello everyone!" she called cheerfully.

"Where's Thomas?" inquired Fyora. Demona's smile broadened when she heard the door behind her creek open. His tail was black and smoking, and his body was covered in soot. King Altador looked up at the ceiling and hid a smile.

"What. Happened." Tor growled.

"Apparently," Thomas said as he stumbled forward, "she got her hands on a fire mote and… And…" He fell flat on his face, his blackened tail sticking straight up and smoke rising from his body.

"And that's all, folks," Demona finished with a smile.


	6. Explanation and Fluff

**Explanation of Demona's Assignment to Tor's Family and Jhudora Fluff**

Before Demona arrived in Fyora's court…

"So, what now, your majesty?" Roberta asked as Thomas ran out of the room. King Altador leaned against the side of the now empty light-faerie chair and Tor stood on the other side of it.

"You will need something," the queen replied thoughtfully. "I fear that your Darigan companion will be especially susceptible to this kind of magic."

"Why?" Tor asked, looking up in surprise. "She's a dark pet, isn't she immune to the magic?"

"Of course not!" The queen answered in surprise. "Do you not realize? She is a dark pet, a creature subject to judgment and feelings of total displacement among us. She is tormented by the harsh words of those who believe her to be evil. Despite what she probably tells you, no creature can take such judgments their whole life without some emotional turmoil. Even Lord Darigan has kindness in his heart, and he has declared himself a neutral acquaintance of the darkness, but he will not join forces with it."

"I did not think of that…" Roberta mumbled. "She is still in the room, all by herself. I told her not to come with us. I was afraid…"

"You feared my reaction," Fyora finished for her. "You thought I would react the same way as my faeries." She put an understanding hand on Roberta's slumped shoulders. "It is alright for now; Thomas has gone to fetch her. But you must understand that she was probably hurt when left behind. Please; do not do that again unless you have good reason to."

"Yes, milady." Satisfied, Fyora turned and walked back to her chair just as the door opened at the other end of the room. A Darigan Kougra- presumably Demona- waltzed in with a wide, joyful smile.

After the meeting came to a close, Tor was too tired to either scold the happy Kougra or drag her out by her ear, so he just walked out, his back as straight as he could force it. Roberta shadowed him, her forehead furrowed in worry.

"Sir Tormund," the kind called after him, closing the door to Fyora's chambers behind him. "I see you as still struggling. There is no need to keep up appearances."

"I am a knight of Meridell, my lord," he answered with a half-smile. "I wish to represent my kingdom well." Altador smiled before putting a paw on the Lupe's shoulder. Tor winced from the unexpected pain shooting down his back.

"You need to rest," countered the king. "However, you must all go to your lands. Well, almost all of you." He turned to Demona, who was grudgingly helping a smoldering Thomas walk through the castle behind everyone. It was her punishment for putting him in such a state. She looked at the king and tilted her head in question. "You will be living with Sir Tor and his family in order to charge your protection talisman. I have met them; they are good people and good farmers. I'm sure you will have plenty to do as Tor recovers."

Tor turned, expecting her to object loudly for all to hear. Instead, she simply nodded at the king and continued to silently help Thomas along. He almost fell from shock, and the king caught him before he tumbled.

"This could be a long recovery yet," he laughed shakily. "I don't understand, though; why does it _hurt_? I mean, I know why it would emotionally drain me, since that's what the clouds do, but this pain…"

"The dark power is able to recognize a true threat when it sees it," said the king simply. "It knows that you will try to resist it, so it retaliated harshly when it felt your presence."

"How would it know that I'm here?" Tor inquired quietly. "The Queen said that the darkness was only just starting to infiltrate this kingdom."

"I fear it already has infiltrated it. I think there is an agent hiding in the darkness. I have suspected Jhudora, but I have my doubts."

"That dark faerie would jump at a chance to hurt Fyora, though, wouldn't she?"

"Perhaps," Altador mused, "but she would never obey a master. If she wants Fyora to suffer, she would do it herself, and not under another's banner. She is a very proud woman, and that pride is perhaps her saving grace here." Tor's head began to ache from trying to comprehend what was going on. As the group walked out of the castle, however, they were almost in the face of the dark faerie herself. She was standing right outside the door with her arms crossed.

"Holy Harris!" Tor gasped in surprise. He was caught by Roberta as he nearly fell backwards. Was every creature in Neopia trying to give him a heart-attack?!

"So, the king of Altador is here after all," Jhudora huffed. "And of course he gets his audience before me, and I've been waiting all day." She looked to the right and saw Roberta helping Tor stand up straight. "And the heroes of Neopia!" she mocked. "Truly, the love she has for her faeries shows in her priorities."

"She has allowed you to stay in Faerieland," Altador retorted, crossing his arms across his chest. "I think her love does show quite nicely, considering what you get away with here." Jhudora growled at the Lupe and they thought it would turn into a fight.

Before it could escalate any further, they heard someone scream "OMG, it's Jhudora!" Realizing the voice was behind them, both Roberta and Tor turned to see Demona standing alone and Thomas on the floor. She was staring at the faerie as if her head was a giant lolly-pop. "I never thought I'd get to see you in person!" Pushing Roberta out of the way, the happy Kougra stood right in front of the dark faerie, bouncing on the balls of her feet.

"Yes, and you are?" the faerie snarled. Without uttering so much as a syllable, Demona reached into her bag…

And pulled out a Fyora Faerie Straw.

"I saw it on your list of requested items!" she chimed with a grin. "I was going to drop it off before we left-"

"GIVE IT TO ME!" Jhudora grabbed the straw from her paws and immediately began eating it. "I've wanted one of these for AGES! They kept telling me they were sold out." She devoured the straw within moments, and was licking her fingers obsessively. Behind Demona, everyone sweat-dropped as they watched the faerie loom over the Darigan once more. "Where did you get it? Are there more?!"

With an energetic nod, Demona grabbed the faerie's wrist and started running, practically dragging the purple-green faerie behind her. As they disappeared from sight, King Altador let out a hearty laugh.

"So, that's why she was so upset," he chuckled. Tor and Roberta threw him glances that were a mix of confused and disturbed. "It's not common knowledge, but Jhudora has quite the sweet-tooth. She's particularly fond of anything with Fyora's name on it. I haven't been able to figure out why, but I have two theories. Theory one: she sees eating anything with the Queen's name on it as a symbol of victory. Theory two…" He looked around before leaning closer to them and covering his muzzle. "She's secretly in love with the Queen."

The king let out another laugh and continued forward as the knight and mage stared after him, wide-eyed and very, very disturbed.

* * *

This is what I like to call a "Troll Chapter." Basically it's a very short chapter that's meant to either explain what's going on or act as a sign that I am still alive and will continue updating but I'm too lazy to do a full chapter. This is a combination of both, yay :) Enjoy!


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